Photo Booth
by StrawberryDream15
Summary: Team Ichigo and their Spirits go to the mall... along with the Jerks! When everyone splits up for the day, who does Kasshi choose to partner up with? And when they come across a photo booth...
1. Photo Booth

**Me: Hey! I'm so sorry for not publishing this sooner. It's been a while... I've just been really busy with several tests. ^^"**

**Kashino: You've delayed this for like, what? A month?**

**Me: ...Yeah, pretty much. Again, everyone, I'm sorry! D: I hope you all will like this short story!**

**Chocolat: Hana-chan is not the owner of Yumeiro Pâtissière; you all should know that anyway.**

**Me: Oh, yeah, this story is KasshixChocolat, not KashinoxIchigo. I thought that I ought to try this couple out. ^^ (Is it 'Kasshlat' or 'Chocoshi'?) Also, I know the Spirits are supposed to be invisible to most people, but let's just pretend that they appear in the photo booth pics.**

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><p><span>Photo Booth<span>

"Yay! We're finally here!" The Jerks flew around in an excited frenzy. Their eyes sparkled with delight as many colorful stores stood before them, lining the sides. "It's the mall!"

"Guys, calm down. You're acting so immaturely..." Chocolat scoffed, "Especially you, Kasshi."

The offended Jerk pointed his spoon towards her angrily. "Grr, you! How is it childish to make a fuss when we're at a place for the first time ever?"

"Yeah, we've only heard with our ears about these huge joints of department stores," Narcy added.

"Well, now you guys see it, ok?" Chocolat sighed. "Oh, why did we agree to take such bothersome Spirits along with us?"

"HEY!" The Jerks growled.

"She's right, guys. We invited you three to tag along only because you suddenly dropped by..." Vanilla reminded them.

"...So be on your best behavior, ok, boys?" Chocolat plastered a forced grin on her face.

"...Fine." The trio glumly crossed their arms.

"Oh, I forgot to add," Café piped up, "Satsuki said that we could use these during necessary times." He used his spoon to make three magic, Spirit-sized, dog leashes appear.

"If you were to cause some trouble..." Chocolat smugly flashed a smile as the Jerks recoiled in horror.

"You three are very mischievous, desu!" Caramel giggled.

"But of course, we'll only use them if it's totally needed." Café used his spoon to make the leashes vanish into thin air.

"H-hai..." Kasshi, Narcy, and Andy heaved a tremendous sigh.

"Hey, guys! Come over here, quick!" A distant voice called from behind the Spirits. The seven turned to see Ichigo waving excitedly at them, beckoning them to come over. She and the Sweets Princes were standing by a huge map of the entire mall.

When the Spirits were closer to the four humans, Ichigo announced, "We have agreed to let you seven fly off to wherever you'd like in the mall!"

The stunned Spirits' faces broke out into grins, and they cheered with delight. "Really?"

"But stay with a buddy at all times, ok?" Andou gazed knowingly at Caramel. "We don't want you guys to get lost..."

"And don't forget to use your spoons to call each other in case of an emergency," Kashino stated.

"We know, we know..." Vanilla rolled her eyes. "Jeez, don't treat us like we're the children! Who are the older ones here, anyway?"

"Here." Hanabusa handed a few bucks to each Spirit. "The four of us split up our money for you guys to spend." The little faces lit up even brighter.

"Thank you!" The Spirits bowed gratefully before keeping the money safe with sweets magic.

"Let's all meet right back here in five hours..." Ichigo glanced at her watch. "Got that, everyone?"

"Yep!" A chorus of seven little voices erupted from the group.

"Ok, have fun, then!" Ichigo waved to them before heading off in another direction with Kashino. Hanabusa and Andou also said goodbye and walked towards a nearby store.

"Ok, guys! Let's split into groups before going off to do exploring!" Kasshi exclaimed.

"I'm with Vanilla!" Caramel glommed onto the pudgy Spirit.

Narcy started, "The three of us are always together, so we'll naturally pair up as a-"

"Actually, I'm buddying up with Chocolat this time," Kasshi cut in. "Sorry, Narcy and Andy."

"WHAT?" The two Jerks gaped at their friend in shock. "Why?"

"Yes, why?" Chocolat, also taken aback by surprise, asked the Spirit curiously.

"No reason, we just haven't spent that much time together lately, that's all." Kasshi's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Hmph, suit yourself." Narcy and Andy flew off to a stand that captured their interest.

"...Then I guess I'd better go with them to make sure they won't get into much trouble," Café sighed before zooming after the two.

"Let's get going, Caramel!" Vanilla grabbed the sempai's hand and led her towards a girly-looking shop. Chocolat and Kasshi watched the two females giggle as they floated in the air.

"Well, same goes for us, then." Kasshi faced Chocolat with a smile. "Any place you want to go in particular?"

The sweet grin of his caught her off-guard, and she was forced to turn away with a deep blush forming on her cheeks. "Um... Not really..."

"I've heard that the human malls have these magic boxes that take pictures of you and give you a series of them in return," Kasshi remembered.

"Oh, you must mean those photo booths. They're pretty fun to use." Chocolat recalled the last time she came to the mall and went in one with Vanilla.

"They sound pretty interesting! I wanna try it... Where can we find one?" Kasshi asked.

"They're usually near the kiddie rides." Chocolat started to fly towards the destination. "Come on!"

"Oi! Wait up!" Kasshi immediately began to follow her.

~x~

"Oh, this looks so cute! I think Ichigo will like this, don't you think?"

"Hai!" Caramel studied the necklace that Vanilla was talking about. "It seems like her style."

"And her birthday is coming soon! I've got to get something for her!" Vanilla checked how much money she had. "Ten bucks! Perfect! I'm definitely getting this for her~!" She grabbed ahold of the necklace and struggled to slide it off the hook. "H-help, Caramel!"

The crybaby Spirit joined in tugging at the bright-colored accessory. After much effort, they managed to get it off.

"Whew! That was hard work." Vanilla breathed. "Let's take this to the check-out counter now..."

"V-Vanilla?"

"Yes?"

"...We can't buy these. Most people can't see us, remember?"

"Oh... right..." Vanilla sucked in huge amounts of air in frustration. "Darn! What's the point of giving us money, then?"

"Maybe we can only use it for the kiddy rides and vending machines," Caramel suggested.

"Argh, this is so disappointing..." Vanilla glumly slid the necklace back onto the hook. "Let's go look at some other things!"

"Ok!" Caramel grinned.

~x~

"I want that!"

"Me too!"

"Ooh, that looks so cool!"

"You said it!"

"Can we go on one, Café? Pretty please?"

"Yeah, we wanna try!"

Café sighed tremendously as he watched the two Jerks, Andy and Narcy, flounce their way around the perimeter of the toy shop. Apparently, they were highly interested in the plastic toy cars especially, longing to 'drive' one. Poor Café tried hard to keep his temper under control.

"WAAH! Café, he poked me with that giant lollipop!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah, you did! I saw! Café!"

The Spirit groaned. "You two are acting like young children," he muttered. "Narcy, Andy, stop bickering this instant-"

"Ouch, that hurt!"

"It was your fault!"

"CAFÉ!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, JERKS!" Café lost all patience as he yelled at the two, fuming with irritation. "Quit being so loud and fussy! Jeez! If you continue to be this noisy, I'll bring out the dog leashes!"

Andy and Narcy gazed at Café in shock, not expecting his sudden outburst. Sheepishly, they hung their heads, apologizing to him.

"Thank you." Café huffed, crossing his arms. "You two can play with the toys, just as long as you don't break anythi-"

"WOO-HOO!" Thanks, Café!" The Jerks made a beeline for the miniature race cars.

Hanabusa's Spirit sighed. "This will be a long five hours..."

~x~

"So... This is it?" Kasshi gestured toward the huge machine before them.

"Yep. This is a photo booth..." Chocolat nodded in confirmation.

"Let's go inside then!" Kasshi darted behind the curtain. Chocolat followed close behind.

"Now, how does this thing work?" Kasshi pressed the buttons repeatedly, but to no avail. "Huh?"

"We need to pay first, Kasshi..." Chocolat explained.

"Oh... right..." Kasshi laughed nervously. He watched as Chocolat used her sweets magic to feed the money into the slot, bringing the screen to life.

"Whoa," Kasshi breathed, fascinated by the colorful icons that were displayed before him. "This is so cool!"

Chocolat smiled slightly as she glanced at his interested expression.

"What do we do now?" Kasshi stared at the screen, puzzled.

"Well, we should pick a template first. Then we pose differently four times," Chocolat replied, clicking on the 'choose one' button. "Which one seems to grasp your attention the most?"

"Hm... Hey, this theme looks cute! Why don't we use that one?" Kasshi pointed to a design of...

Hearts?

"Uh... Why such a... girlish theme?" Chocolat blushed as she stared at the text included with the photos; it read: 'True Love 4ever'. The example photo strip had a guy and girl kissing in the last panel.

"Girlish, you say? Well, I think it's nice." Without further ado, Kasshi clicked on the theme, and it was set.

_Oh, what are we doing?_ Chocolat gritted her teeth as she watched the screen start counting down. _This is..._

"Get ready for the first pose, Chocolat!" Kasshi laughed jubilantly as he grabbed her hand playfully.

_This is... fun._

_3... 2... 1..._ The two formally grinned together as the camera snapped the first photo.

"Next one!" Kasshi announced. "Let's do funny faces!"

Chocolat nodded as she stuck her tongue out in a silly manner and did bunny ears over Kasshi's head. He, on the other hand, flared his nostrils and bugged his eyes out so that they looked ginormous.

_Click!_ The moment had been captured.

Chocolat giggled as she glanced at the screen with the image of Kasshi's face. He smiled back at her also, causing her insides to feel queasy.

"What should we do for the third one, Chocolat?"

"Um... How about we do something unique? Like... fly upside-down?" _After all, no human could ever do that!_

"Sure! That's a great idea!" Kasshi grasped Chocolat's hand and they flew in the said position.

Chocolat could not forget the comforting sensation that came from within Kasshi's hand, the one that grasped her own hand gently.

"Say, 'Sweets!'" Kasshi shouted as the countdown came to 'one'.

"Sweets!" The Spirit duo beamed together. The flash indicated that the photo had been taken. Pretty soon after, the countdown started again for the final snapshot.

"The last one..." Kasshi directed his gaze on Chocolat. His face was completely flushed. Suddenly, he grabbed her hands and held them close.

_5..._

The brown-haired Spirit faced him now, heart pounding furiously. "Yeah... What should we do?" _What's he going to say?_

_4..._

"Chocolat..." Kasshi gazed into the magenta-colored pupils of the female, mouth curling into a soft grin. "I... love you."

_3..._

He reached forward and caressed her bright pink cheeks.

_2..._

Kasshi slowly turned his head and leaned in on the other Spirit's face.

_1..._

The flash shone through every corner of the photo booth, capturing that blissful moment. As Chocolat felt the soft, warm lips of Kasshi's press lightly against hers, she closed her eyes and relished the wondrous instant. It felt so magical, so amazing to kiss him. Kasshi was also traumatized by Chocolat's lips, and how more beautiful she looked up close.

After the picture had long since been taken, the two broke apart and looked deep into the other's eyes. Both Spirits had crimson-red cheeks and satisfied smiles in their faces.

"Kasshi..."

"Ack, I'm so sorry, Chocolat! I-I did it without your consent. It was so sudden too... Please forgive me!" Kasshi suddenly came to fully realize what he'd just done. "I-If you don't feel the same way as I do, then-"

"Kasshi." Chocolat firmly held the sides of his face in her hands. "Don't worry. I love you too." She gave him a reassuring grin and hugged him tightly. "What were you thinking? Spoiling the moment with that apology..."

"Oi!" Kasshi's face turned even redder. "I just wanted to be sure, that's all..."

A pleasant emotion surged through Chocolat's torso. "Hey, how long have you loved me, Kasshi?"

Kasshi bit his lip awkwardly. "It's been a long while already..."

"Really...?" Chocolat screamed inwardly. _Is he serious? He's been in love with me for a long time now?_

"Y-yeah..." Kasshi was super embarrassed, trying to hide his furious blush. "You?"

"I... I've loved you for quite some time also," Chocolat admitted.

Kasshi stared at her for a few seconds before bending over in laughter.

"W-what's so funny?" Chocolat asked in confusion.

"It's nothing," Kasshi wiped a stray tear from his eye, "It's just that... We've felt the same about each other for so long and yet we never came to realize that we shared the same emotions."

Chocolat began to giggle also. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"Well, then..." Kasshi grabbed ahold of Chocolat's hand. "Shall we get going?"

She nodded and let him lead her out of the photo booth.

"Let's see how the pictures turned out!" Kasshi excitedly dragged Chocolat to the slot outside and tore the photo strips out from the machine.

"Here." He handed one to her and she took it with eager hands. Both looked down at their individual strips and erupted into a fit of chortles.

The first and topmost picture included them two just smiling normally, but they looked pretty stiff and unnatural.

The second made Kasshi look obnoxious, with his face taking up about two-thirds of the whole picture.

The third one was of them flying upside-down together. However, Chocolat was staring at her hand, which was intertwined in Kasshi's.

"You sure liked my hand there..." Kasshi teased.

"Sh-shush!" Chocolat's face turned into a fine shade of red.

Then finally... The last photo. The kiss. Chocolat's heart fluttered as she remembered that spectacular moment, and how it had felt so refreshing. As she and Kasshi studied the image, they gasped.

Their position was perfect. Hands locked in place, eyes shut, faces turned just right. There was no doubt that this was the best photo of the four.

"It's... breathtaking." Chocolat's face broke into a smile.

"Isn't it?" Kasshi agreed. "And we have it - our first kiss - captured in a photo."

"Not to mention that we get to share these memories wherever we are," Chocolat added.

Kasshi nodded. "Yeah... Thanks for guiding us here. If you hadn't, we wouldn't have gotten these..." He held up his strip.

"Of course!" Chocolat beamed happily. "Let's do this again sometime!"

"Definitely," Kasshi smiled wryly. "And it's number one on my to-do list."

~x~

"Hey! Over here!" Ichigo waved towards Kasshi and Chocolat, directing them over to where she and the others were standing. The new Spirit couple flew over to the rest of the gang.

"What did you guys do? Did you have fun?" Andou asked the Spirits.

Caramel and Vanilla exclaimed, "The store we went to had lots of cool accessories!"

"Oh, we had countless go-kart races!" Andy and Narcy announced together.

"Ugh..." Café groaned, holding his head.

"Café-kun? What's wrong?" Hanabusa asked his Spirit with concern.

"I have this giant headache..." He darted glares at the two noisy Jerks.

"Why are you looking at us?"

"Well, how about you, Chocolat? Did you have fun with Kasshi?" Kashino inquired.

"Er... We just flew around the mall... Yeah, we did have fun." Chocolat left out the photo booth part, not wanting the others to know about her and Kasshi.

"Yup! The fountain in the middle was so huge!" Kasshi threw his arms in the air to describe what he saw, also accidentally flinging the photo strip from his hand in the process.

"Huh? What's this?" Narcy grabbed the strip from the floor and stared at it. Everyone else also crowded around it to see.

"Oh... my... sweets..." Narcy and Andy's jaws dropped to the ground. "K-Kasshi... Are you...?"

"AARRGH!" Kasshi screeched in terror. "D-don't look at that!" He tried to snatch the strip from Narcy, but failed.

"Ah, you guys had fun, all right..." Kashino raised his eyebrows at Chocolat. She was now the same color as her dress, utterly speechless.

"Aw, so cute!" Ichigo cooed.

"Congrats, Chocolat!" Vanilla, Caramel, and Café said in unison.

Narcy and Andy were as pale as ghosts, staring straight ahead like zombies. "Kasshi... What happened to you...? You're not the friend we know..."

"Great photos, you two," Hanabusa chuckled, glancing at the strip for the second time.

"P-please give them back to me now..." Kasshi's face resembled a tomato. He soon received his property back and remained scarlet in the face.

"I knew you two were going to be a great pairing someday!" Vanilla remarked.

"E-enough about us!" Chocolat sputtered. "What did you guys do?" she asked the humans.

"It was..." Kashino turned away.

"What? We had fun..." Ichigo pouted.

"...Yeah..." Kashino simply replied.

Hanabusa stepped in. "I, the prince of roses, went to-"

"If you're the prince, who's the king?" Kashino taunted.

"H-hey!" Hanabusa retorted. "Don't interrupt me!"

"How about you, Andou-kun?" Caramel asked her partner.

"Oh, I just went around the mall. Nothing much," he shrugged.

"So did we all have fun today?" Ichigo inquired the group.

Many voices replied to her. As everyone else continued talking about their day, Kasshi took Chocolat aside.

"Thank you for spending the day with me. It... It meant a lot." Kasshi told her.

"Same here. I enjoyed it also." Chocolat held up her photo strip. "And I'll always remember today whenever I see this."

A heart-throbbing grin formed on the blond's face. "Yup," he pulled out his strip and joined it with Chocolat's. "Always."

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><p><strong>Chocolat: ...<strong>

**Kasshi: ...**

**Me: Aw, such adorable, blushing faces you two have! :3**

**Chocolat: ...I'm speechless.**

**Kasshi: Same.**

**Me: Oh, well. Hey, everyone, I hope this was to your liking. It might have been too rushed... Oh, well... I might write a bonus chapter about what Ichigo and the others were doing during the photo booth time! ;) If you enjoyed this and want that chap, please contact me!**

**Kashino: People, please don't! Hana is surely going to torture me if she writes that additional chapter! So please be considerate and don't say any-**

**Me: Shush, Ma-kun! Anyway, please ignore that sadist and review instead! This time, all reviewers will receive a plate of macarons! With a flavor of your choice! :D**

**Kashino: Oi, there you go with the bribing again... And who said that you could call me by that name? I never gave you permission...**

**Me: I'm the author, and the author has power. ^^ And it's not bribing, it's... REWARDING.**

**Kashino: ...Whatever you say.**

**P.S. I've posted a new poll! :D**

**Question: "If you had to choose your favorite, who would it be?"**

**Choices: Amano Ichigo; Kashino Makoto**

**I thought it'd have interesting results! So please check out my profile! I'll be posting the results around Kashino's birthday, so that'll give people about a month. ^^ Thanks to all who voted so far~**!


	2. Bonus Chapter!

**Me: I just wanted to say... Happy belated birthday, Kashino! :D**

**Kashino: Thanks.**

**Me: ...You don't sound happy at all. :(**

**Kashino: What's the big deal about birthdays? You're late. :P And there's no need for all that fuss.**

**Ichigo: Aw, but I made you a cake, Kashino!**

**Kashino: Well... Just one little bite...**

**Me: Enjoy the LONG bonus chap! Some Hanabusa humor, Kashigo fluff, and hints of Kana x Andou. :3 Plus I don't own YP! ^^**

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><p><span>Bonus Chapter!<span>

"Okay, have fun then!" Ichigo waved to the Spirits. The little creatures waved back before turning away.

"So... I'll be going with Hanabusa now," Andou told Kashino and Ichigo.

"See you two!" Hanabusa and he started for a store nearby.

"Bye!" Ichigo called cheerfully after them. She turned to Kashino. "Let's get going, too!"

The blond nodded. "Where do you want to go first?"

The brunette's eyes began to sparkle. "To the food court!"

"The... Wha?"

"Let's go!" Ichigo grabbed ahold of Kashino's hand and began to drag him towards the said destination.

"Oi, wait-" The poor guy had no choice but to be directed by the girl.

When the two arrived at the joint of restaurant booths, Ichigo immediately headed for the longest line of people.

"Hey... Why are you getting in the line for Italian food?" Kashino asked as he joined her.

"Because they have a special on ravioli today!" she replied gleefully.

"Ravioli? You like that?" Kashino's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yup! Italian food rules!"

"And I thought you only had an eye for sweets..." Kashino sighed.

"Salty's fine, too," she stated. "Do you like ravioli, Kashino?"

He shrugged. "I'm not a big fan of pasta, but it's not too bad."

"Then you can get into another line for something else, if you want," Ichigo suggested.

"Nah. I'm not that hungry, but I'll stick with you anyway. There are enough people here to get lost easily."

"Are you sure? It's lunchtime..."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kashino insisted.

"Okay..." Ichigo turned and faced the person standing in front of her. "Oh, we're almost there!"

After the next customer paid, Ichigo stepped up to the cashier and ordered her meal. She handed the money over, took her tray, and gestured for Kashino to follow her.

The two sat at table nearby. Ichigo grinned as she announced, "Itadakimasu!" Following that, she began to dig into her pasta.

Kashino stared at the brunette. She was scarfing her meal down awfully fast...

"Hey, you've got tomato sauce on your face," he pointed to an area on Ichigo's chin.

"Huh? Where?" Ichigo put her fork down and reached up to mouth.

"There."

"I don't have a mirror... Could you please point it out for me?"

Kashino exhaled loudly before leaning across the table. He then wiped the sauce off with a finger.

The brunette flushed slightly as she felt his touch. "Y-you could have used a napkin or something..."

"We don't have any," he reminded her.

"Ah... I must have forgotten to grab some back there..." Ichigo laughed nervously.

"Whatever." Kashino stood from his chair. "I'll go wash this off." He walked towards the restrooms.

Ichigo ate the rest of her pasta in silence. When Kashino came back, she'd already finished the whole platter and thrown the trash away.

"Should we get going?" Kashino asked.

"Not quite yet." Ichigo answered. "I need some of that French food!" She jumped up from her seat to run over to the line. "Pot-au-feu~!"

"Oi! But you just ate a whole..." Kashino chased after the brunette. _That girl..._

~x~

"Andou, I'm going to check something out at a different store." Hanabusa put his book back on the shelf.

"Okay, I'll keep reading here," the raven-haired boy answered.

The narcissist walked out of the bookstore and turned left. _I'm pretty sure that it's near here... If I remember correctly, the directory said that it should be right around the corner..._

Hanabusa soon came before the store he'd sought for. _Aha, I was right!_ "Behold, here it is!"

A huge, bright smile formed on his lips. "Bath & Body Works, here I come!" he happily hooted.

~x~

"Hm... I wonder what she'll like..." Andou muttered under his breath. He flipped through book after book. He'd been searching for ten minutes straight now, and none of the novels seemed to fit the image he had in mind.

"It's got to be the perfect present..." The male frowned as he scanned the remaining titles on the shelf. "For her birthday..."

He walked over to the manga section and picked up a graphic novel that seemed girlish. He opened it up and stared at the drawings of school girls eyeing a group of guys. Hm, she might like a romantic-

"Andou-kun? Is that you?" A voice called from behind the guy.

Andou nearly jumped a mile. Heart thudding furiously, he turned to face a familiar girl. "K-Kana-chan?"

"It's such a coincidence to find you here," Kana smiled. She studied the male's facial expression. "Are you okay? And why are you reading a shoujo manga?"

Andou turned pale as he realized he was still grasping the book. "O-oh! I was just... Er... Checking out what girls read! Yeah! Something like that!" he laughed sheepishly.

"Eh...?" The female was confused. "That's... interesting..."

"N-never mind anything!" Andou hurriedly shoved the manga back onto the shelf. "Anyway, are you... uh... free right now?"

"Huh? Oh, yes!" Kana snapped back to attention.

"Since I've got nothing either, do want to... hang out?" Andou asked hesitantly.

Kana's heart flooded with joy. "Sure!"

Andou, reassured, smiled gently. "What do you want to do, then?"

"Hm... I need some new clothes..."

"Let's go find you some!" Andou led her out of the bookstore.

~x~

"The Luscious Lavender Collection - on sale!" Hanabusa exclaimed. He took a whiff of the perfumes and sighed. "Ah, such a beautiful scent..."

The male continued on to another display. "Rose-scented perfume! Just perfect~!" He examined the bottles of pinkish liquid.

Taking one, he sprayed a sample of the perfume onto his hand. He inhaled deeply. "Extremely extravagant..."

Nearby girls shifted their gazes toward him and their mouths curled into smiles of admiration. They eagerly sauntered over to Hanabusa.

"Hey, hottie... How ya doing?" The girls asked him.

"Ah, I'm so blessed to have elegant fragrances surrounding me... And now I have such dazzling princesses here..." Hanabusa flicked his bangs swiftly.

The females squealed in delight and continued to chat. As time passed, more and more girls gathered around to fawn over him.

"The essence of pure beauty... is located wherever I go," Hanabusa murmured to himself.

~x~

"Mm! So yummy! You should really try some, Kashino!" Ichigo gulped down spoonful after spoonful of her dish.

"No." Kashino wearily gazed at the brunette. "Seriously, when are you going to stop eating?"

"What do you mean? I've only eaten-"

"Ravioli, pot-au-feu, fish and chips, satay, a taco, and now fried rice!" Kashino threw his hands up, frustrated. "What's next? Sushi?"

"Nope, I eat that pretty often," Ichigo stated.

The blond sighed in relief. "Good. Then-"

"I want udon~!" Ichigo suddenly rose from her seat and raced to the line of people.

Kashino groaned loudly. Why do I ever put up with her...?

Ichigo came back a few minutes later with a tray; it contained udon, yakisoba, okonomiyaki and teriyaki chicken.

Kashino almost fainted at the sight. "A-Amano, what..."

"They looked so good; I HAD to buy them!" She licked her lips before partaking.

"You just had to, huh?" The male sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "Well, I should have guessed..."

The food was completely gobbled up within five minutes.

"Amano, we really should spend our time at the mall somewhere else... Not at the food court," Kashino remarked.

"Hm, I guess you're right. I've already tried each category, anyway..." Ichigo threw her trash away and dashed back to Kashino. "What should we do now?"

"I don't need to buy anything... Do you?" Kashino asked.

"Actually... No..." Ichigo muttered.

"You only wanted to eat here, right?" Kashino smirked.

"How did you know?" she replied innocently.

The blond shook his head. "Never mind, let's just look around."

The duo walked down one of the wide halls. They rounded a few corners and looked into the display windows of stores they passed.

"Ooh, look! They have chocolate samples over there!" Ichigo yelped as she grabbed two bon-bons from a booth.

"I don't need one," Kashino told her.

"You should eat it! You haven't eaten anything at all today..." Ichigo insisted.

"No, I'm serious. You have it," he said.

"...I'm saving it for you later." Ichigo wrapped the sweet with a napkin and placed it carefully into her purse. She popped her own into her mouth and savored the flavor.

"So tasty..." she cooed.

Kashino scoffed. "I thought you'd be too full by now to think about food."

"No way! I still have to eat dessert!"

_This... annoying... girl..._ Kashino was starting to lose his patience.

Ichigo stuffed her mouth with confections throughout the entire hour. She bought some cakes and devoured them in a flash. Kashino watched it all in disbelief.

Every time they passed by a booth offering samples, Ichigo eagerly took some.

"AMANO! Stop eating already! You'll get even fatter!" Kashino finally burst into anger. "You've eaten twice the amount of food you're supposed to have daily..."

"But I'm still hungry," she whined.

"What kind of stomach do you have?" Kashino's eye began to twitch.

"I have two, remember? One for salty, one for sweet. The one for sweets is bigger, of course." The brunette skipped towards another booth. "Whoa, cheesecake samples!"

_She's not human..._ Kashino thought in utter disbelief.

~x~

"So... What kind of clothes do you want?" Andou inquired.

"Hm... I like skirts and stuff, but I need more pants... Maybe jeans?"

"Okay, we should go over there, then..." Andou gestured toward a store. He and Kana started for it.

"Hey, isn't that Kashino-kun?" Kana pointed to a blond guy who was lecturing a certain brunette.

"And he's with Amano-san," Andou added.

"Let's go see what they're up to," Kana ran up to the two with Andou close behind. "Hi, you guys!"

"Oh, hi." Kashino refrained from the process of scolding Ichigo.

"Kana-chan!" The brunette ran up to her friend and hugged her tightly. "Why are you here?"

"I bumped into Andou-kun at the bookstore," she explained. "And we just thought we'd might as well spend the day together."

"That's good to hear," Ichigo replied.

"So, what were you two doing?" Andou asked Kashino and Ichigo.

"I'm just telling this girl about self-control, after what she did for the past three hours..." Kashino glared at Ichigo.

"What? My belly is never satisfied," the brunette declared.

"You really are..." The blond face-palmed himself.

"Ichigo-chan, what's with your clothes?" Kana exclaimed suddenly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ichigo looked down at her attire.

"Your shirt is too short! Are you outgrowing it?"

"Yeah, actually..." she admitted. "My clothes are getting small, but I don't care. I'm not about what I wear anyway, I just care about sweets..."

"Truth to be told, you're just getting fatter from eating too much," Kashino snickered.

"N-no!" Ichigo protested.

"You still shouldn't be forcing yourself to fit in that, though! We need to replace those outgrown clothes of yours!" Kana exclaimed.

"...Okay, fine."

Kana grabbed Ichigo's hand and led her into a clothing store. "Since you agreed to this, I'll pay for you," she told the brunette.

"Ah... Thank you, Kana-chan." Ichigo looked around at the many racks of stylish clothes.

Andou and Kashino walked up from behind. Feeling awkward to be in such a girlish section, they kept their gazes straight on the two females.

"W-we'll wait for you girls over there..." Andou gestured over at the seats outside the dressing rooms. He and Kashino awkwardly sat down there.

Kana and Ichigo went through shelves and racks of tops and bottoms, trying to find anything that seemed appealing and suitable. After ten minutes, Kana put down the pair of jeans she was holding and sighed.

"None of these seem to match my style. I want something more simple and plain..." Kana turned to Ichigo, who was carrying a few outfits. "I'm going to try another store."

"Okay." Ichigo joined Kana in returning to the guys.

When they arrived at the changing rooms, Kashino immediately jumped from his seat at the sight of them. "You're done? Okay, let's get outta here!"

"I can't find what I want here, so I'm going somewhere else with Andou-kun," Kana explained. "Ichigo-chan needs to try on those clothes, so stay here with her and give her feedback on how they look," she told Kashino.

"But-"

"Ichigo-chan, when you're finished, call me. I'll still pay for you, because you've done so much for me in the past."

"A-are you sure, Kana-chan?"

"Yes. Have fun with Kashino-kun!" Kana waved goodbye before heading out the store with Andou.

Blond and brunette stood in an awkward silence.

"So... uh..." Kashino looked off to the side. "You need to try those clothes on, right?"

"Y-yeah..." Ichigo stared at the collection of clothing in her hands.

"Go in and see how they fit. Surely, you don't need my advice..." Kashino sat back down onto the chair.

Ichigo walked into one of the stalls and clicked the door shut behind her. Kashino sighed as he crossed his arms and waited.

Five minutes later, Ichigo hadn't come out yet. Patience wearing thin, Kashino called, "Are you done yet, Amano?"

"I-I don't know if I should get this or not..." she replied.

"Well, does it fit?"

"Yes, but... It looks sorta weird..."

"What do you mean? Come out and show me!"

"Okay..." Ichigo swung the door open and stepped out. Kashino gasped as he scanned the outfit she was wearing.

The brunette had on a light pink blouse and a creamy white skirt. She looked really mature in the outfit and cute at the same time. Her hair was let down, too. The blond stared in awe at how pretty she looked.

"What's that look for? I look weird, don't I?" Ichigo frowned in dismay.

"N-no! Not at all! I think you look..."

"Look what?"

"You're..." Kashino bit his lip, slightly blushing. _She's so adorable..._ "You're b-beautiful..."

"R-really?" Ichigo's cheeks turned pink. "You think so?" She stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Yes..." Kashino reassured her.

"Then I'll buy this set." Ichigo cheerfully went back in the changing room. A few minutes later, she came back out in a different outfit. "How does this one look?"

She was wearing short designer jeans. For the top, she wore a teal t-shirt and a black cropped jacket. Kashino was taken aback by the contrast from the last outfit. "Since when did you wear black?"

"It was worth a shot..."

"I don't think it suits you. You'd look better in something with a brighter color."

"I guess you're right..." Ichigo zoomed into the stall once again and stepped back out minutes later. "This one?"

It was a long sleeved shirt with lavender and gray stripes. Her jeans were almond-colored. Kashino nodded in approval, giving her a thumbs-up. "The colors go well with each other."

This process went on for a while, with Ichigo changing into outfit after outfit and Kashino giving her feedback about each one.

After all the clothes had been sorted out, Ichigo grabbed the ones that she wanted and dialed Kana's number.

"Kana-chan, we're done! You can come now... Okay... Uh, huh... Bye!" She hung up.

"Well?" Kashino asked.

"She's on her way from around the corner. Let's just sit down and wait."

"Okay." Kashino sat down on a chair; Ichigo did also. The two looked down on the floor, not speaking to one another.

_Why is the atmosphere so tense? I'm suddenly feeling really nervous..._ Kashino gulped. "Hey, what do want to do later?" he asked the girl.

"Hm... I want a smoothie!" she exclaimed.

The blond almost smacked her in the head. "Baka! Stop thinking about eating all the time!"

"S-sorry..." Ichigo whimpered. She glanced at him. "Nee... What do YOU want to do, Kashino?"

"Huh? Me? I don't know... I just tagged along because you guys wanted to come to the mall," he shrugged.

"Come on! There must be something you want to do!" Ichigo coaxed.

"Well... I heard that they were doing this jazz performance over on the other side," he murmured.

"Then let's go there!" Ichigo smiled. "We'll have a blast listening to your favorite music!"

Kashino grinned back at her. "I guess that'll be fun." _This girl is always looking out for others. She's so caring towards me..._

"Hey, look at that cute couple over there!" A girl squealed from nearby as she pointed to Kashino and Ichigo.

"Aw, they look so great together!" her friend cooed.

"I know, right?" Another girl added. "They're like, totally perfect for each other!"

"E-eh?" Ichigo blushed madly as her eyes widened in surprise. "W-we're not dating!"

"Yeah..." Kashino's cheeks were red also.

"Really? Oh. You two look like an item, though." The girls walked off.

Ichigo snuck a peek at the blond. _Kashino's just a friend. He's nothing exceptionally special to me... He's just a good friend of mine... right?_

~x~

"The high quality perfumes in this store can never compare to the beauty of you, my dear princesses." Hanabusa blew a kiss and caused several nosebleeds.

"GAH! Hanabusa-sama!" The girls squealed from the Rose Prince's action. There was a whole crowd of them now; many females passing by had been attracted into the store by him.

"Ah, my little flowers of beauty... Each and every one of you is beautiful and sweet; don't ever forget that." Hanabusa took the hand of a nearby girl and kissed it.

The lucky girl burst in delight and fainted. All the others started screaming wildly and begging Hanabusa to kiss them also.

"Oi, what is going on here?" The store manager came out from the storage room. Her mouth fell open in shock as she faced the harem before her.

Hanabusa turned from the girls to meet the gaze of the manager. "Ah, greetings, my dear. Shall I entertain you, too?" he winked.

"You, get out of my store! You're causing such a disruptive commotion! Go!" The lady ordered.

"Ah, if you insist..." Hanabusa sauntered over toward the woman and flashed an irresistible smile. "...cutie."

"O-oh!" The lady immediately dropped the stern expression and wore a love-struck one instead. "Forget what I said; you must stay~! Such a kind, young handsome..." She grinned at him cheekily.

Hanabusa beamed triumphantly to himself. "Ah, I am truly a professional at this."

~x~

"I think these will do, Andou-kun. Thanks for waiting." Kana smiled at the male.

"Ah, no problem," he responded. "I'll take them to the cashier, if you want."

"Oh, that's so kind of you! Thank you!" Kana handed the pants over to Andou before he settled in the back of the line.

Not long afterward, a ringtone rang out from Kana's purse. She reached in and pulled out her cellphone, unlocking the screen. "Hello?"

'Kana-chan, we're done! You can come now,' Ichigo announced from the other end of the line.

"Oh, that's good! We'll be there soon. We're just around the corner..."

'Okay.'

"Thanks. How was trying on your clothes? Good?"

'Uh, huh.'

"Okay, we'll see you then. Bye!"

'Bye!'

As Kana hung up on Ichigo, Andou came back from the check-out counter. "Andou-kun, Ichigo-chan said that she's done, so we'd better get going."

"Sure." Andou walked out the store with her.

The two walked side-by-side. Chemistry was going through the air; however, the two were silent about their personal feelings.

They turned the corner and walked into the store where Ichigo and Kashino were. Kana spotted the familiar brunette and called, "Ichigo-chan!"

"She's here, Kashino!" Ichigo stood up and dashed over to her friend. Kashino followed her. The brunette gave Kana the clothes and watched her pay for them at the cashier.

"So what are you two planning to do after?" Andou turned to Kashino and Ichigo.

"We're heading to the other side to hear the jazz band," Ichigo informed him.

"And you, Andou?" Kashino asked.

"I'll see what Kana-chan wants to do," the raven-haired boy replied.

"Here, Ichigo-chan!" Kana handed the bag of clothes to Ichigo while she trotted back from the cashier.

"Thanks, Kana-chan!" Ichigo gladly took the bag from her hands.

"What do you want to do now?" Andou asked Kana.

"Hm... I have to leave in half an hour, so my options are limited. Maybe... just a walk around?"

"Sure, I'll go with you, then." Andou stepped towards her.

"That's fine with me." Kana smiled cheerfully and took Andou's hand, causing him to blush. The two waved goodbye to Ichigo and Kashino before walking slowly out the store.

"Jazz time?" Ichigo shifted her gaze on Kashino.

"Yup, let's go!" He led Ichigo out the entrance and headed for the performance with her.

The brunette walked at Kashino's side. She stole a few glances at him, studying his facial expression. He seemed emotionless, but she could see that his eyes contained a bit excitement.

_I worry about him sometimes... Is he having fun? He never shows it clearly when he's anticipating something... He's the total opposite from me and yet I feel this special bond between me and him. It's not friendship, but more like true care and-_

"A-Amano..."

"Yes?"

"Why are you holding onto my hand so suddenly?" Kashino asked, flustered.

Ichigo snapped back to attention and pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry! I just... I don't know."

Kashino inhaled deeply. "Forget it. We're almost there, anyway."

Ichigo looked up to see a huge area set up with several chairs. A few people sat there, watching the band before them perform. The music they played sounded throughout that section of the mall. She gasped as she listened to the catchy tune.

"Want to sit down?" Kashino asked her. She nodded in response and followed him to two seats.

The two sat and watched the small group play for about fifteen minutes. Sweet tones emitted from the instruments and flowed gracefully into everyone's ears.

Kashino's expression seemed more lively, causing Ichigo to grin. Yes, he's enjoying it! Finally, he smiles that hugely!

After the performance, the two walked to a stand close by. "Hey, do you want a shake? My treat," Kashino told Ichigo.

"Huh? Oh... Sure..." Ichigo raised an eyebrow. _This is the guy who scolded me about overeating... And now he's buying us a shake? Oh, whatever. Must have been the jazz that cheered him up._ She joined Kashino in the line.

"One strawberry milkshake, please," Kashino told the lady behind the counter. He then reached into his pocket, but felt nothing there. "Oh, no!"

"What?" Ichigo asked, panicked.

"My wallet - it's gone! That's strange..." Kashino felt all his pockets to double-check.

"Urm... Kashino? I, um, kind of borrowed your money for the food earlier..." Ichigo confessed, laughing nervously.

"WHAT?" Kashino glared at her scarily.

"H-here..." Ichigo handed him his wallet from her purse.

Kashino looked inside and sighed. "You really did waste a lot... At least I still have enough for the shake." He put the money on the counter before turning to Ichigo with a stern frown. "You'd better explain this later."

"Of course!" Ichigo forcefully beamed.

After the shake was ready, the two sat down at a table. Ichigo immediately grabbed the treat and started to consume it. Kashino looked off to the side at some plants nearby.

He peered at his watch. "We have to meet back up in twenty minutes..." The blond glanced at her. "So did you have fun today, Amano?"

"You bet! How about you, Kashino?"

"It was fine," he shrugged.

"But how could it have been fun if you didn't even eat anything?" Ichigo wondered.

"I wasn't hungry-"

A growl from Kashino's stomach sounded. He blushed as he bit his lip. "Fine, maybe now I am just a little..."

Ichigo giggled. "Here, have some of the milkshake. It's really good!"

"Okay." Kashino took the cup from her and began to sip up its contents through the straw.

"NO!" Ichigo yelled loudly, which almost scared Kashino to death.

"Wh-what?" He asked in alarm. Her outburst had been so abrupt.

"Th-that straw..." she moaned.

"What about it?"

"I-I used it..." she whispered.

~x~

"Andou-kun, look! It's so pretty!" Kana pointed to an aquamarine pearl necklace in the glass cabinet.

"Oh, it is! It would look great on you," Andou smiled.

"Y-you think?" The female blushed slightly.

"Absolutely. Do you want to try it on?"

"Sure." Kana then asked the manager to take the accessory out. Andou helped her put the piece of jewelry around her neck.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. "Oh!"

"It looks beautiful, Kana-chan," Andou complimented.

"It's so cute! And it matches the new outfit I bought today." Kana remarked. "I'm buying it!"

She took out her wallet from her purse and went through the money she had. "Aw... I don't have enough money!"

"You don't?" Andou asked.

"No! I used most of it for Ichigo's clothes. Oh, well."

"You did a good deed, Kana-chan. I think it was really nice of you to pay for Amano-san."

"You think? I just had to." Kana sighed as she turned back to the necklace. "If I can't buy this, never mind. I'll just come back another time."

Suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up and said a few lines before hanging up.

"Rumi-chan is picking me up right now! I have to go; sorry, Andou-kun."

"It's okay. At least we had time together today. I'm glad we did."

"Me too," she grinned. "Goodbye!" Kana then scurried towards the mall entrance. The male waved to her.

Andou focused his gaze on the necklace. He thought for a moment before smiling to himself. "I've found the perfect birthday present for her!"

~x~

Kashino almost spat out the creamy mixture in his mouth. "What?"

"That was my straw! And you just used it!" Ichigo wailed.

"Seriously? I thought you were using the spoon!" Kashino's eyes widened.

"No, I was using the straw! And now I gave you an indirect kiss!"

That caused Kashino to fall over in his chair. He quickly got back up and slammed his hands down on the table. "I-indirect k-kiss? What?" He was madly blushing.

Ichigo was also a brilliant shade of red. She turned away from him and whispered, "Um... You can have the rest of the shake. I don't want it anymore."

"I-I don't want it either!" Kashino carried the cup like it was haunted and threw it in the trash bin. He sat back down afterwards.

Silence took place for a full minute.

"Um... We should probably go back to our meeting place," Kashino told Ichigo softly.

"Y-yeah..." Ichigo stood and followed Kashino.

As they walked next to each other, Kashino said, "Um, Amano? Could you... not tell anyone about that incident from before?"

"Why would I? I think it's embarrassing myself," Ichigo answered.

"Thanks," he smiled.

"Do you still want your chocolate sample?" Ichigo pulled out the wrapped treat from her purse.

"Naw, it's okay. Give it to Natsume or someone else."

"I saved it for you, though!" Ichigo pouted.

"Fine, fine..." Kashino took the chocolate from her and popped the piece into his mouth. His eyes immediately flickered open in surprise. "Wow, this flavor is impressive! Whoever made it has some skill."

"You think? I like it too, but I prefer the chocolate you make, Kashino." Ichigo flashed a gentle smile.

"R-really? Thanks." Kashino scratched his head, face reddened. "But I still need to work on my technique. I'll strive to make you the best chocolate one day!"

"For me?" Ichigo gasped.

"Yup." Kashino stared into her dark eyes, nodding. "No matter what I encounter on the way there, I promise that I'll make it someday."

"You promise, huh?" Ichigo brightened. "Then I'll do my best too!"

The two soon came to the huge directory sign. No one was there yet, so they just waited.

"Kashino..." Ichigo fidgeted.

"Hm?"

"Thanks for letting me drag you around today. I was being pretty selfish."

"No, it's alright. I have to say that it was fun hanging out with you." Kashino grinned.

"Seriously?" Ichigo looked down. "Even though I used your money?"

"I'm still a bit annoyed about that, but it's nothing, really," he replied.

"And what about the... the k-kiss?"

"Whoa, what kiss?" Hanabusa's head suddenly popped up between the blond and brunette.

"AAH!" Ichigo and Kashino jumped back, both startled and scarlet in the face.

"Man, you two were awfully close. Sorry if I was interrupting something..." Hanabusa smirked.

"W-we weren't doing anything..." Ichigo sputtered.

"But what was the kiss you were talking about?" Hanabusa asked curiously.

"A kiss took place? Did I miss it?" Andou came up from behind Hanabusa.

"N-nothing happened, Andou!" Kashino hissed through his gritted teeth. "Now be quiet, guys! The Spirits are coming our way!"

"Okay." Andou turned to Hanabusa and whispered quietly into his ear. "Did they really do that?"

Before Hanabusa could reply, Kashino shot him a warning glare, causing him to zip his lips.

"Let's see what our little friends did!" Ichigo remarked cheerily.

As the Spirits approached the humans, the brunette gave Kashino a quick wink - one that no one else noticed. He blushed and smiled in return.

What the two did that day would just be a secret between them only. No one else would ever find out.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: It's all done! I feel like it's dragged... -.- Ah, well. The next story will be 'Acne'. Sorry to those who wanted 'Exams', but that will be written soon after. :)<strong>

**Ichigo: And the poll on Hana's profile is closed! Not many votes, but I still WON! :D**

**Kashino: Don't act all cocky now, Amano. It's just a bunch of people's opinions.**

**Ichigo: Sorry...**

**Me: Anyway... Please review! :3**


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